Smiddy first played hurling and Gaelic football at juvenile and underage levels with the Castlemartyr club.
He also played in various competitions as a schoolboy with Midleton CBS, including the Harty Cup.
[3] He also earned selection with the Imokilly divisional team and won consecutive Cork SHC titles in 1997 and 1998.
[4][5] Smiddy first appeared on the inter-county scene as a dual player at minor level.
[6][7] Smiddy was part of the Cork junior hurling team that won the Munster JHC title in 1996, the same year he made a number of appearances for the Cork senior hurling team in various tournament and pre-season games.